Don Alberg stands at the rear of the rumbling livestock trailer, backed into the entrance of a new large pen. The 67-year-old Qualicum Beach resident opens the gate, giving the cattle a first look at their new home: residential Gordon Head.

As the 23 bovine tenants graze about the land, the familiar sounds and rank odour of a cow farm quickly fill the air surrounding the agricultural property, wedged in the middle of a suburban neighbourhood.

B次元官网网址淚, along with my brother and sister, are very apologetic to the neighbours. We were forced into this feedlot,B次元官网网址� Alberg says. B次元官网网址�(I know) feedlots donB次元官网网址檛 fit in here.B次元官网网址�

The siblings own 1516 Mount Douglas Cross Rd., a 1.64-hectare parcel thatB次元官网网址檚 zoned for one house. But itB次元官网网址檚 also farmland, protected in the Agricultural Land Reserve.

The Gordon Head land has effectively become an extension of AlbergB次元官网网址檚 Qualicum Beach farm, as these new cows took residence in Saanich to make way for growing calves. He expects to eventually cycle cows in and out of the feedlot as they are sold off for meat.

Alberg says raising cows in Saanich isnB次元官网网址檛 ideal, but the project will extract some profit from the land after the family was twice denied requests to subdivide the land for housing.

In March 2011 the Albergs went before Saanich council with a plan to develop the property into 16 residential lots and remove it from the ALR. Council rejected the plan. In July 2012, the Albergs scaled back their plans, opting for a 12 lots. But council rejected their plans once again.

B次元官网网址淔or us to support the removal of land from the ALR it would have to be such a compelling argument (and be) for the greater good of our community B次元官网网址� not the development of more houses,B次元官网网址� Coun. Susan Brice said in 2011, summing up councilB次元官网网址檚 reasoning for rejection.

Perhaps a compelling argument is now the Albergs, having been rejected multiple times at the staff and council levels, are using their property as a farm, even though itB次元官网网址檚 surrounded by homes.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think weB次元官网网址檝e been treated fairly,B次元官网网址� Alberg says. He and his siblings B次元官网网址� Gordon Alberg and Florence Davis B次元官网网址� have spent nearly $150,000 on development plans, agrologist reports and now prepping the land for a cattle operation.

Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard says his understanding is the siblings still want to develop the property.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know how (a cattle feedlot) gets them closer to the outcome they want,B次元官网网址� Leonard says. B次元官网网址淢y sense is that they wish to use it as a bully tactic.B次元官网网址�

John Alexander, the AlbergsB次元官网网址� lawyer, doesnB次元官网网址檛 see it that way.

B次元官网网址淭his is a piece of land thatB次元官网网址檚 Land Reserve land that has a potentially productive use. The Albergs spent a lot of money historically to change the use and havenB次元官网网址檛 been particularly successful (dealing with Saanich), so theyB次元官网网址檙e going to put it to the uses that are permitted,B次元官网网址� Alexander said.

The Albergs say theyB次元官网网址檙e just frustrated. While they know the ball is in their court to submit another development application, they donB次元官网网址檛 want to invest more time and money, only to be potentially rejected again.

B次元官网网址淩ight now, though, we have no intentions of putting an plans forward to Saanich. WeB次元官网网址檒l let them know if that changes,B次元官网网址� Alberg says.

Best case scenario, he says, could be if council revisits its March 2011 decision regarding the original 16-lot plan. Leonard says the property owners need to be the ones to take the next steps.

Until the stalemate is dealt with, Alberg says more pens and more cattle will be put on the property. B次元官网网址淲e need some revenue from this property,B次元官网网址� he says.

The cows were moved to their new home Tuesday, marking the first time in nearly a decade that livestock has lived in Gordon Head.

The Alberg property was formerly owned by Vera Alberg, the siblingsB次元官网网址� mother, since 1945, who kept five black Angus cows on the land until she turned 100 in 2004.

B次元官网网址淭he birth of new calves at B次元官网网址榁eraB次元官网网址檚 placeB次元官网网址� each spring has become a special neighbourhood event. Not many residential areas can boast such a delight,B次元官网网址� wrote Saanich B次元官网网址 history columnist Valerie Green in a June 1994 article. B次元官网网址淗er small cattle business is her pride and joy.B次元官网网址�

As homes sprung up around the property, and most area farmland was taken out of the ALR decades ago, the Alberg family land has become an anomaly.

B次元官网网址淲e had a great time when we were kids here, but itB次元官网网址檚 not like it used to be,B次元官网网址� Alberg says in view of residential homes backing onto his cow pasture. B次元官网网址淭he reasonable decision is for this to come out of the ALR. Farming is not conducive to single-family neighbourhoods.B次元官网网址�

kslavin@saanichnews.com